A defensive end from Auburn, Groves agreed to a deal that will pay him in the $3.3-million range, and includes a signing bonus of $1.355 million, the Times-Union has learned. Groves will sign the contract sometime today.

Meanwhile, the club continues to negotiate a contract for former Florida defensive end Harvey, but it won't be a surprise - due to the league-wide slow pace of negotiations with top picks - if he misses the first team meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. today.

Jack Del Rio expressed optimism earlier in the week about signing Harvey, but on Thursday the Jaguars' coach said there is "nothing [new] to report" regarding the status of the negotiations. Harvey's agent, Ken Kremer, didn't return calls Thursday.

The Jaguars report to camp beginning at 2 p.m. and the team's first practice is 10:15 a.m. Saturday.

Of the 31 first-round draft picks, only 11 had signed contracts as of Thursday night and only one player (New England linebacker Jerod Mayo) taken from fifth to 13th overall has signed a deal. Each of the top four overall picks has signed.

Because Mayo (who received an eight-percent increase in guaranteed money over last year's No. 10 selection and a five percent increase in total value of the deal) was picked just two slots behind Harvey, it would appear that negotiations with the Jags could pick up steam today.

Harvey's negotiations could be complicated by the holdout of Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who was selected one pick ahead of Harvey at No. 7.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis this week expressed frustration about Ellis becoming a holdout, and blamed agents who he said are motivated by a fear of embarrassment of a player signing a more lucrative deal after their client has already signed.

"It's frustrating because I feel like it's about the agents of these guys not wanting to look bad as opposed to any concern for getting the player in here and getting him acclimated," Loomis told the Biloxi (Miss.), Sun Herald. "Frankly [the agents] are looking for some huge increases. Yeah, they'll do a deal if you want to give them outrageous increases. I just don't know any business that you hand out 20 percent, 30 percent increases every year. You're not going to be in business very long if you do that."

Harvey won't be considered a holdouts unless he's absent on Saturday and doesn't begin training camp with the rest of his teammates.

The Jaguars' public practice sessions run from Saturday through Wednesday, Aug. 6. The first preseason game is against Atlanta on Aug. 9.